I gave you all a little sneak peek last week at our experience with the Chevy Traverse on our mom bloggers' road trip to the Type-A Mom Conference. All I can say is, "Thank goodness for OnStar!" While we did see that there was a gas station at the next exit, there was a moment that we were all panicked about whether or not we'd find one before running out of gas. The ability to access OnStar really eased our minds!

The 2011 Chevy Traverse that we drove from Pittsburgh to Asheville provided me an overall sense of security on the trip. It's a large, sturdy vehicle with tons of features. Ask my traveling buddies, and they'll tell you I'm not the most adventurous driver. But in the Traverse, I felt pretty good driving in unfamiliar territory. I didn't even get self-conscious when the gentleman stared at me while I was parking it at the Wendy's where we ate. Yes, he watched me park that sucker the entire time. Ordinarily, I'd be a little unnerved, but I bet he was just staring at the beauty of the Traverse. Take a look - it is beautiful, isn't it?

Check out the interior. There's tons of room - enough for 8 passengers. The seats move easily so that there is easy access to the third row. We even put the third row seat down in order to make room for all our luggage on this trip. It was a breeze to do. Another feature I liked was the fact that the back hatch opens with the click of a button. So helpful for traveling and for daily life with kids.

Yes, that's Monster's Inc. on the floor. The kids had to test it out before I took it on the trip. They LOVED the DVD player, which is something we don't have in our van. In fact, my 11-year old son really thought it would be okay just to give them our 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan in exchange for the gorgeous, loaded 2011 Chevy Traverse. Yeah, doubt that Chevy would have gone for that.

Truthfully, there were so many features on this baby that I can't even begin to name them all. The ones that were important to me were the OnStar navigation (because I'm directionally challenged), the satellite radio (because I love my music and hate commercials), the comfortable leather seats with lumbar control (because I hate getting a sore back on long rides), and the camera in the rear view mirror that allowed me to see much more than I would have imagined (because I tend to be a scary backer-upper). LOVED these amazing features.

Truthfully, the safety and comfort of this vehicle were key for me. Because I'm not the world's most confident driver and I do have trouble with direction, it really meant a lot to me that I was able to help drive on this trip and to feel confident that I would be able to find my way home if I got off track. Thank you so much, Chevy, for your generosity in making this a wonderful trip for mom bloggers who really needed to get away!

We're here. We made it to Asheville, NC for the Type-A Mom Conference. We four mom bloggers had a fabulous time on our road trip from Pittsburgh, and we owe a great deal of it to Chevy, who provided us with a 2011 Chevy Traverse to drive. Take a look at some of our antics!

Thank you so much, Chevy, for your generosity. It's amazing to me what this major company actually went through to get the car to us. It took a lot of effort, and we appreciate it so much! More to come on the Traverse and our conference highlights.

Okay, I literally need to be out the door in two hours to leave for Type-A Mom, but I just had to take a minute to write this post. I've been reading a lot of bloggers' posts and tweets about the conference, and so many are feeling nervous. Especially conference newbies. While I'm not the most experienced, I have learned some things from attending conferences and events. Here are some things I'd like to share.

Don't Get in Your Own Way

I'm speaking from experience here. Don't let yourself get so nervous or worried about not knowing anyone that you end up a nervous wreck. This defeats the whole purpose of attending a conference. Just breathe, think about what you hope to get from this experience, then head over to a group of people who look interesting and introduce yourself. I know it's a tough proposition, especially if you're shy. But I can vouch for the fact that others are feeling the exact same way, despite how things look on the outside. I've felt it, and I've read about it on countless blogs - sometimes from the people you'd least expect to be worried or self-conscious.

It Doesn't Matter What You Wear

Seriously. It doesn't. Especially at this conference. I know for a fact that Kelby Carr herself would tell you the exact same thing. Don't get me wrong. I got new clothes for the conference, and I'm looking forward to wearing them. Honestly, how often do I get the chance to go out with grown ups and have some fun? Usually, I'm sitting here at my desk. All. Day. Long. So I'm looking forward to accessorizing and breaking in some new outfits. But you want to be comfortable at a conference - both physically and with regard to self-confidence. Choose clothes that are second-nature for you. Things that make you feel good. And wear comfortable shoes. No matter what you wear, there's sure to be someone more dressed up or more casual around you. And, honestly, I don't think anyone cares. I took great care to get the cutest ballet flats for the last conference I attended, and guess how many compliments I got? Yeah, that's right. But I felt good in them!

Put Yourself Out There

Convince yourself to do as much as you can during the conference. Again, how often do we moms get a chance to experience something like this? A chance to socialize, to learn, to network. Grab it with both hands and don't let go. That's not to say you should wear yourself out trying to do absolutely everything. No way. Do the things that look most interesting to you. Approach the bloggers and brand representatives that you're dying to meet. Attend the workshops you know you'd benefit most from. Let yourself take a rest, all by yourself in your hotel room, when you need it. Hide in the bathroom if you're feeling overwhelmed, but get back out there and get what you need from being at this conference. You don't want to go home with regrets, kicking yourself for not getting enough out of the experience.

There you have it. My impromptu words of advice for attending the Type-A Mom Conference. Now I just need to remember them, myself. Be sure you grab me if you see me hiding in the bathroom, okay? See ya soon!

Whew! The family and I got back from the Type-A Mom Conference Sunday night, and I'm just now feeling back to normal. What a fun and exciting whirlwind of events those four days were. The conference was held in Asheville, NC, and my family and I left Wednesday morning for the nine hour drive. The drive was totally uneventful. All three kids were quiet and well-behaved. Honest, they were.

Get There and Go!

Right after we arrived, Noah, Norah, and I jumped on a very fun purple tour bus to join a group of other early arrivers for a trip to the local Health Adventure museum where they were holding a Grossology exhibit. We had a blast! The kids were able to take part in hands-on activities big and small to learn about the human body and some of the less than nice things it can do. They made snot, they slid through a plastic stomach and crawled through a replica of the anus. Oh yes, they did. I even got in on the action, identifying animal scat. Yep. After the Grossology tour, we joined the group on a much more pleasurable sensory experience as we dined on everything chocolate at a place called The Chocolate Lounge. The kids and I were in heaven!

Day One

Left to right: Shannan of From Cribs to Car Keys, Sugar of Sugar in the Raw, Beth Rosen,Marcia of AllState me, Amy of Resourceful Mommy

The next day, we were supposed to join some bloggers and their famlies for a day long bus tour of the Biltmore and some other fun stuff. Except we missed the bus, due to my ADD. I thought it left at 8:30 when the actual departure time was 8:00. But it ended up being okay, as we went to the Biltmore on our own to explore. The kids were less than angelic, so it was best that we could head back to the hotel at our own discretion.

After helping to run registration for an hour or so, I jumped in on the first actual conference activity, which was a PR/Blogger speed dating session. We all sat at round tables and chatted amongst our group until it was time to switch seats and meet a new group of people. It was a great kickoff to the conference and a wonderful way to meet other bloggers as well as PR reps. Here's a picture of me at one of the speed dating sessions. I think I'm talking to Jessica Smith of Jessica Knows.

Next came a welcome reception sponsored by Walt Disney world. The food was lovely, and the wine from the Biltmore was even better. But the best was being able to slow down and visit with folks in a more leisurely manner after getting to know a few very quickly at the speed dating session. The conference is really such a blur, but I can tell you I got a chance to meet so many wonderful people. The evening ended at the hotel bar, with complimentary blue drinks from Maria Bailey of MomTV and NewBaby.

Day Two

Friday was the first day of full-blown sessions, and I was excited. The day started with a breakfast fashion show from Dress Barn.  A handful of bloggers went to the local Dress Barn store the night before and were treated to one complete outfit. Then we were treated to a fun fashion show where they modeled their pieces. Have you seen Dress Barn lately? They have some really fashionable and affordable stuff.

I attended some amazing sessions on PR/Blogger relations, leveraging your pre-kid career, selling ads on your blog, and earning money from blogging. They were all very informative. While I was in sessions, the older kids were at the KidsCon. This was a fabulous addition to the conference that made it possible for me and so many other others to attend the conference.  All conferences geared toward women should follow this model. I applaud and thank Kelby Carr for including it.

Day Three

The last day of the conference started out with a mom market, where conference sponsors and mom owned businesses could set up and showcase their products. It was very nice to check everything out and to have the chance to talk to people about the products they were so passionate about. I then headed to a breakout session on blog karma and social capital that encouraged us all to think of others rather than just how we can get ahead, and by doing so, we'll create deeper relationships. Next was a very laid back lunch sponsored by Chick-fil-A. It was yummy, and it was nice to kick back and relax.

After lunch, there was a blogger town hall meeting where everyone was invited to give their opinion on where blogging is heading. There was discussion on being paid what we're worth and on running our blogs in the manner that we choose.The discussion was passionate, but not heated, and it was a very effective means of discussing what was on our minds. Here's me with the microphone.

The keynote address focused on breaking the mommy mold. A wide variety of bloggers talked about their views on everything from stats to reviews. It was great to get such a wide perspective. Finally, the conference ended with a local beer, BBQ, wine and cheese bash. I was able to brin my husband to this event and enjoy this adult time to reflect upon the conference and discuss ideas, also to engage with my new friends.

For more in-depth review of the conference sessions, visit Cutest Kid Ever, where you'll find several detailed posts. Check out the Type-A Mom Flickr stream for tons of photographs from the event. You can also visit Pensieve and Real Life for links to others' Type-A Mom Conference posts.

Thank you to Rick from Tiny Prints and Amanda from High Impact Mom for the pictures I stole. And thank you so very much to Kelby Carr, Astacia McGee, and Angela England for all the hard work they put into organizing the best conference ever.