Speakers
Allison OlfeltAllison started blogging in January of 2008 because all of her married friends were doing it (::giggle::), but soon discovered the act of writing to be deeply satisfying. She now uses her blog, O My Family, as a way to be honest with herself and her readers about how difficult new motherhood really is. In 2009, O My Family won the Divine Caroline Love This Site! Award and she still hasn’t really figured out how.
Allison met her husband on her first day at Wheaton College in Chicago. 982 days later, they were hitched. After their son Micah was born last summer, she somehow got involved in a twisted web of cloth diapering, immunization delaying, baby wearing, and natural birthing. They now live in Minnesota where she works as a full-time mom and pretends to be a hippie. You can find her on twitter, @omyfamily, but be warned: she tweets about baby poop on the daily.
Ann Montgomery
Ann is the eye behind the camera of Anniemations Photography. Ann is a mother of three BEAUTIFUL princesses and married to a wonderful man (aren't we all)! Ann has been a professional photographer for over 5 years and feels that it has blessed her life so much that she wants to share the blessings with others. Teaching is a passion for Ann, as learning the in's and out's of photography can be intimidating ... but come learn and bless your life with knowledge! Visit Ann online at www.anniemationsphotography.com
Annette Lyon
Annette was Utah’s 2007 Best of State fiction medalist. Spires of Stone, her fifth novel, was a 2007 Whitney Award finalist for Best Historical Novel. Her seventh book, Band of Sisters, was released in March, and her chocolate cookbook, Chocolate Never Faileth! will be out in October. Annette is a senior editor for Precision Editing Group, has sold nearly 100 articles to a variety of publications, and enjoys all kinds of writing, although she’s best known for her historical series about Utah temples and her grammar book, There, Their, They’re: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd. She’s the Wednesday contributor at the Writing on the Wall blog and writes on her personal blog, The Lyon’s Tale.
Annie Valentine
Annie Valentine isn't just good at writing; she's good at putting off laundry so she can practice writing.
Annie graduated in Journalism from Brigham Young University, and currently writes a humorous weekly newspaper column for a few newspapers in Washington and Utah. She is also one of The Standard Examiner's Top of Utah Voices, and writes a monthly opinion column there as well. In addition, Annie has been published in The Ensign, The New Era, and The Friend, and enjoys doing freelance work when there’s time.
This year, Annie was picked up by Studio 5, Utah’s local NBC morning show, to do a regular segment on the in's and out’s of life as a woman, and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.
Annie is originally from Washington State, but moved to Utah three years ago by way of Washington DC. She currently lives in Davis County with her sweetheart and three sticky children. She blogs at Regarding Annie.
April Atwater
April, @sweetlifeinthe, is a photographer, designer, communicator, a lover of fine chocolate, good food and pretty things. With a history in project management, interior design and photography, April runs several successful blogs including Sweet Life in The Valley, a lifestyle blog which focuses on home, family, garden, cooking, design, and more. Sweet Life in The Valley has a loyal following. April was selected by KSL/NBC Studio 5 in Salt Lake City as a regular contributor and has appeared on the show several times in 2008-2009. April is a social media specialist as well as a blogger relations specialist. She hosted the very successful Summer Social Retreat for Utah's top 40 most influential bloggers in August of 2009. She has been featured in several local newspapers and magazines. She is a co-founder of the Social Media Club of Utah Valley. Her influence goes beyond her blog to other social media outlets including twitter where she has over 3,000 followers. She recently join Julie Wadman as co-owner and co-editor of the award wining online magazine for women, CraziBeauitful.com
April Durham
April is a married college grad, working full time at NBC by day, and doing graphic design by night. With two degrees in Advertising and Radio/TV/Digital Media Production, she has developed a love for all things media, especially online. A little over a year ago, she began blogging at April Showers – and quickly found an aptitude for graphic design. After bribing loyal readers with free blog designs, her portfolio started to grow and the rest is history. April Showers Blog and Graphic Design has become a true success story and blessing for April. She has kept her design site personal by blogging daily about her devilishly handsome husband, getting the Lap-Band, trying to conceive, playing Band Hero, and mastering the Bump-It.
April Meeker
April is the maker of jewelry, art and dinner in her home by the sea. You can read more of her everyday shenanigans at SecondSister Suaviloquy and follow her tweets at @suaviloquy.
Becca Dulgarian
Becca is one part wife, three parts mother and the rest is a mixed bag of genetic obligations, sass and reality! Her High School sweetheart husband and three energetic daughters are constant sources of entertainment and inspiration. While in the throws of motherhood Becca can often be found knee deep in Domestic Goddess training! Rooted in self taught sewing and having a borderline unhealthy obsessive for fabric and paper, Becca is always out to create! She lives by three mottos…1. Everything has potential and can become something wonderful! Everything and everyone! 2. Live the way you want to be remembered! 3. Mint Oreos are just as important in ones creative arsenal as Mod Podge, Ribbon and a Hot Glue Gun ! You can follow Becca’s adventures on her creative blog Blue Cricket Design.
Caroline Bingham
Caroline Bingham, otherwise known as MomBabe, started blogging in 2007,and quickly unearthed a huge subculture, where she completely immersed herself. Her personal blog, The Bingham Diaries, was a finalist for best parenting blog in the 2008 Weblog Awards. She is a busy mother to four shortlings, and devoted wife to the DadGuy.
Caroline is one of the driving forces behind the ever popular site, Mormon Mommy Blogs, and co-founder of the Casual Blogger Conference. She recently launched her own blog design business. You can follow her on Twitter as theMomBabe.
Casey Mullins
Casey Mullins hates writing bios. She also hates writing in the third person and has been known to outsource bio writing to one of her many talented friends. She pretends to be a photographer, is working on becoming a writer and one of her greatest aspirations is to win a trophy. Casey has been writing her blog, moosh in indy, since moving from Utah to the Midwest in 2006. The simple act of writing as brought her some unimaginable opportunities (can you say Fashion Week? Twice?) but more importantly she has been able to help people through her unapologetically raw and honest writing about difficult topics such as infertility, depression and post traumatic law school disorder. She has one kid, one husband, three laptops, ten blue ribbons and an awful lot of kitchen gadgets.
Denae Handy
DeNae has spent the better part of the last twenty years serving as a Gospel Doctrine, Seminary, and Institute teacher, as well as a music composer, arranger, and teacher. In her spare time she does free-lance writing, and has published one book, "The Accidental Gringo". She is working on two more books; one fiction and one collection of humorous essays. When she's not lobbying for a law making it illegal to bring up Diet Coke when discussing the Word of Wisdom, she stays busy with four nearly-grown kids, the boy next door whom she married 25 years ago, a house that refuses to stay clean, and a dog who somehow manages to shed twice her own weight in fur every single day. You can read her stories and essays, most of which are true or at least marginally plausible, at "My Real Life Was Backordered", the blog she started a year ago as an excuse to ignore the laundry.
Elisa of Mormon Mommy Blogs
Elisa, known round the interwebs as Motherboard, has been blogging for over 6 years. She graduated with a degree in Travel and Tourism, which means she can ask you if you would like your meal biggie sized and with fries. Elisa is also the co-founder and current owner of Mormon Mommy Blogs which was recently listed as one of the top 50 best Christian Blogs for Women. She is also co-founder of the Casual Blogger Conference.
Traveling, photography, cooking, writing, eating hamburgers and hanging out with her family are some the things she enjoys doing. Her one husband, four adorable kids, mortgage, and a crazy boxer dog is what provides fodder for her personal blog, Crazyland: Tales from the Motherboard. You can follow her on twitter @themotherboard.
Emily Cushing
Emily is the founder and voice behind My Give Away Today. Each weekday My Give Away Today features fabulous giveaways and amazing discounts. It has been highlighted in Utah Valley Magazine, BYU’s Daily Universe, and was featured on the cover of the Utah Valley Business Q, where it was named as one of the best local blogs. Emily has made guest appearances on Good Things Utah, Studio 5, and KJZZ’s Morning Show.
Emily is the mother of four darling little ones and the wife of one delightful man. Her talents include reciting the fifty states in alphabetical order in less than twenty seconds, taking out the trash when her husband forgets, and making a mean pot of chicken noodle soup. Emily enjoys running, writing, and chewing gumballs (a habit that helps to keep her dentist in business).
Emily Poole
Emily Poole, otherwise known as InkMom, is a musician, writer, daytime mommy and midnight bookkeeper for her husband's optometry practice. She enjoys involvement in church and community, and hopes to keep her brain (and fingers!) working through a fantastic side job: viola player in several symphony orchestras. Emily revels in the beauty of her Western North Carolina home and sincerely hopes heaven closely resembles the Blue Ridge Mountains. While she and her husband live out a truly great love story, they raise three crazy boys (5, 5 and 3) and one blessed brand new baby girl. To find out more about InkMom, visit her personal blog, I'm (not) Crazy Mommy.
Heather King
Heather is the mother of two small boys, Miles (4) and Asher (2). She's also the wife to Ryan, the guy who makes her laugh. Her family is the inspiration for much blog fodder. Heather's blog, The Extraordinary Ordinary, is a winding road of everything from thoughts on motherhood to waxing philosophical on faith and life. She has a blog because after randomly starting one with absolutely no goal in mind or point of any kind, she surprised herself with a love for writing, one she had forgotten she had.
Holly Hamann
Holly is co-founder of BlogFrog, a Boulder-based web 2.0 start-up that offers social and community-building tools for websites. She has spent 18 years launching and growing tech start-ups and has a passion for researching and studying internet and social media use by teens, GenY, and women. She is a blogger, public speaker, contributing writer on technology and marketing to various publications, is an American Marketing Association "Marketer of the Year" award recipient and a guest blogger for The HuffingtonPost. She lives outside Boulder, Colorado and blogs about technology and parenting teenagers.
Jaime Chase
Jaime Kay Chase is a writer, public speaker, and child care provider. She is the owner and creator of ChaseNKids.com and Domesticating in High Heels. Her book, By The Way, a Memoir of Religion, Abuse, and Redemption will be published in April 2010. In 2009, Chase was awarded the title of Mrs. Alaska Hostess. She lives with her husband and their four children in Anchorage, Alaska.
Jenni James
Jenni is a crazed mom of 6 ½ kids, currently living in Pleasant Grove, Utah, where she has just moved after living nine awesome years overseas. She’s been blogging about the zany, humorous side of raising her brood since 2006. In 2008, while living in England, her world changed when she began to write her first YA novel—a modernized version of Jane Austen. Since then, Jenni has written 7 books. Her first book (now part of The Austen Diaries) Northanger Alibi will be released June 1, 2010 by Valor Publishing. When she isn’t blogging or writing, Jenni enjoys directing children’s theater, portrait painting, and chasing her little monsters around the house.
Jenni’s class promises to have giggles, treats, games & prizes—with a smidgeon of inspiration thrown in too. So if you feel you’re a slightly-crazed, headless chicken, with a love for life—come in & join the party!
Jennifer Scott
Jennifer Scott has a long history of grass roots activism. She most recently served as the volunteer campaign manager to Congressman Chaffetz during his initial run for Congress, helping him defeat a 6-term incumbent using an all-volunteer staff and a limited budget. She has spent a decade working on municipal campaigns and issues in West Jordan, where she served as campaign manager to Mayor David Newton. Jennifer was the General Coordinator for the Wild West Jordan Playground, a community-built project in which organizers raised over $400,000 and pulled together more than 6,000 volunteers to build a playground over a 10-day period. Jennifer earned a degree in public relations and political science from Brigham Young University. She is married to Rusty Scott and they have 3 children.
Jenny Eckton
Jenny Eckton has been married for over 12 years and has six kids – 5 alive and 1 in Heaven. She grew up in New York but now calls Utah home. She’s been blogging since 2005 at formerlyphread, she comments as ~j., and tweets as @formerlyphread. Having a DVR makes her a better mom. In her other life, she’s a rockstar. She likes, in no particular order: radio, people, maps, semicolons, Indian food, triathlons, music, comedy, laundry, concerts, writing checks, travel, letterpress, quilts, bags, movies, and getting mail. If she had a million dollars she’d buy a nap.
Jenny Proctor
Jenny, known as MommyJ, is an aspiring writer and stay at home Mom to four children, (with number five on the way) including a vibrantly active set of 6 year old twins. She lives with her children and husband of nine years in a tiny town in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina - a place she considers the loveliest on earth. While she mourns the absence of any shopping options beyond Wal-Mart, she loves the presence of so many trees to help buffer the constant noisyness of her home. She hikes to enjoy time with her family, runs because her love for food requires it, writes to maintain her sanity and blogs as often as her crazy children and busy schedule allow on her personal blog, MommySnark.
Julie Macdonald
Living in her hometown in Southern Oregon, Julie is the mother of threeridiculously loud kiddos and the wife of a slightly immature 5th grade teacher. Three years ago, Julie was done with the unfab, cookie cutter blog templates that were out there. She soon became a graphic design junkie, and has created herself a world of custom blog design for families, business-moms and professionals from around the globe with Leelou Blogs. Her free and custom blog layouts continue to be viewed by millions.
Julie is one of the co-founders of the Casual Blogger Conference, gives away fun stuff on Leelou Swag and occasionally finds time to update her family blog. She is addicted to buying domain names and has at least 4 more sites she hopes to launch by 2035. When she’s not blogging it up, Julie can be found consuming baked potato skins, laughing loudly, attempting to take pictures, reading Fancy Nancy and changing diapers.
Kim Borchert
Kim is a Mama to 4 sweet ones, 1 in Heaven and 3 on Earth. She lives in Utah but is from the Midwest and therefore calls herself Prairie Mama, however most days she feels more like Crazy Mama. When she is not changing or washing diapers, wiping noses, picking up legos and playing referee; she can be found in her garden, playing with her kids, or just reading some good blogs and tweeting with her friends. She knits to stay sane and sews to earn money to fund her chocolate habit.
Allison met her husband on her first day at Wheaton College in Chicago. 982 days later, they were hitched. After their son Micah was born last summer, she somehow got involved in a twisted web of cloth diapering, immunization delaying, baby wearing, and natural birthing. They now live in Minnesota where she works as a full-time mom and pretends to be a hippie. You can find her on twitter, @omyfamily, but be warned: she tweets about baby poop on the daily.
Ann is the eye behind the camera of Anniemations Photography. Ann is a mother of three BEAUTIFUL princesses and married to a wonderful man (aren't we all)! Ann has been a professional photographer for over 5 years and feels that it has blessed her life so much that she wants to share the blessings with others. Teaching is a passion for Ann, as learning the in's and out's of photography can be intimidating ... but come learn and bless your life with knowledge! Visit Ann online at www.anniemationsphotography.com
Annette was Utah’s 2007 Best of State fiction medalist. Spires of Stone, her fifth novel, was a 2007 Whitney Award finalist for Best Historical Novel. Her seventh book, Band of Sisters, was released in March, and her chocolate cookbook, Chocolate Never Faileth! will be out in October. Annette is a senior editor for Precision Editing Group, has sold nearly 100 articles to a variety of publications, and enjoys all kinds of writing, although she’s best known for her historical series about Utah temples and her grammar book, There, Their, They’re: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd. She’s the Wednesday contributor at the Writing on the Wall blog and writes on her personal blog, The Lyon’s Tale.
Annie Valentine isn't just good at writing; she's good at putting off laundry so she can practice writing.
Annie graduated in Journalism from Brigham Young University, and currently writes a humorous weekly newspaper column for a few newspapers in Washington and Utah. She is also one of The Standard Examiner's Top of Utah Voices, and writes a monthly opinion column there as well. In addition, Annie has been published in The Ensign, The New Era, and The Friend, and enjoys doing freelance work when there’s time.
This year, Annie was picked up by Studio 5, Utah’s local NBC morning show, to do a regular segment on the in's and out’s of life as a woman, and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.
Annie is originally from Washington State, but moved to Utah three years ago by way of Washington DC. She currently lives in Davis County with her sweetheart and three sticky children. She blogs at Regarding Annie.
April, @sweetlifeinthe, is a photographer, designer, communicator, a lover of fine chocolate, good food and pretty things. With a history in project management, interior design and photography, April runs several successful blogs including Sweet Life in The Valley, a lifestyle blog which focuses on home, family, garden, cooking, design, and more. Sweet Life in The Valley has a loyal following. April was selected by KSL/NBC Studio 5 in Salt Lake City as a regular contributor and has appeared on the show several times in 2008-2009. April is a social media specialist as well as a blogger relations specialist. She hosted the very successful Summer Social Retreat for Utah's top 40 most influential bloggers in August of 2009. She has been featured in several local newspapers and magazines. She is a co-founder of the Social Media Club of Utah Valley. Her influence goes beyond her blog to other social media outlets including twitter where she has over 3,000 followers. She recently join Julie Wadman as co-owner and co-editor of the award wining online magazine for women, CraziBeauitful.com
April is a married college grad, working full time at NBC by day, and doing graphic design by night. With two degrees in Advertising and Radio/TV/Digital Media Production, she has developed a love for all things media, especially online. A little over a year ago, she began blogging at April Showers – and quickly found an aptitude for graphic design. After bribing loyal readers with free blog designs, her portfolio started to grow and the rest is history. April Showers Blog and Graphic Design has become a true success story and blessing for April. She has kept her design site personal by blogging daily about her devilishly handsome husband, getting the Lap-Band, trying to conceive, playing Band Hero, and mastering the Bump-It.
April is the maker of jewelry, art and dinner in her home by the sea. You can read more of her everyday shenanigans at SecondSister Suaviloquy and follow her tweets at @suaviloquy.
Becca is one part wife, three parts mother and the rest is a mixed bag of genetic obligations, sass and reality! Her High School sweetheart husband and three energetic daughters are constant sources of entertainment and inspiration. While in the throws of motherhood Becca can often be found knee deep in Domestic Goddess training! Rooted in self taught sewing and having a borderline unhealthy obsessive for fabric and paper, Becca is always out to create! She lives by three mottos…1. Everything has potential and can become something wonderful! Everything and everyone! 2. Live the way you want to be remembered! 3. Mint Oreos are just as important in ones creative arsenal as Mod Podge, Ribbon and a Hot Glue Gun ! You can follow Becca’s adventures on her creative blog Blue Cricket Design.
Caroline Bingham, otherwise known as MomBabe, started blogging in 2007,and quickly unearthed a huge subculture, where she completely immersed herself. Her personal blog, The Bingham Diaries, was a finalist for best parenting blog in the 2008 Weblog Awards. She is a busy mother to four shortlings, and devoted wife to the DadGuy.
Caroline is one of the driving forces behind the ever popular site, Mormon Mommy Blogs, and co-founder of the Casual Blogger Conference. She recently launched her own blog design business. You can follow her on Twitter as theMomBabe.
Casey MullinsCasey Mullins hates writing bios. She also hates writing in the third person and has been known to outsource bio writing to one of her many talented friends. She pretends to be a photographer, is working on becoming a writer and one of her greatest aspirations is to win a trophy. Casey has been writing her blog, moosh in indy, since moving from Utah to the Midwest in 2006. The simple act of writing as brought her some unimaginable opportunities (can you say Fashion Week? Twice?) but more importantly she has been able to help people through her unapologetically raw and honest writing about difficult topics such as infertility, depression and post traumatic law school disorder. She has one kid, one husband, three laptops, ten blue ribbons and an awful lot of kitchen gadgets.
Denae HandyDeNae has spent the better part of the last twenty years serving as a Gospel Doctrine, Seminary, and Institute teacher, as well as a music composer, arranger, and teacher. In her spare time she does free-lance writing, and has published one book, "The Accidental Gringo". She is working on two more books; one fiction and one collection of humorous essays. When she's not lobbying for a law making it illegal to bring up Diet Coke when discussing the Word of Wisdom, she stays busy with four nearly-grown kids, the boy next door whom she married 25 years ago, a house that refuses to stay clean, and a dog who somehow manages to shed twice her own weight in fur every single day. You can read her stories and essays, most of which are true or at least marginally plausible, at "My Real Life Was Backordered", the blog she started a year ago as an excuse to ignore the laundry.
Elisa, known round the interwebs as Motherboard, has been blogging for over 6 years. She graduated with a degree in Travel and Tourism, which means she can ask you if you would like your meal biggie sized and with fries. Elisa is also the co-founder and current owner of Mormon Mommy Blogs which was recently listed as one of the top 50 best Christian Blogs for Women. She is also co-founder of the Casual Blogger Conference.
Traveling, photography, cooking, writing, eating hamburgers and hanging out with her family are some the things she enjoys doing. Her one husband, four adorable kids, mortgage, and a crazy boxer dog is what provides fodder for her personal blog, Crazyland: Tales from the Motherboard. You can follow her on twitter @themotherboard.
Emily is the founder and voice behind My Give Away Today. Each weekday My Give Away Today features fabulous giveaways and amazing discounts. It has been highlighted in Utah Valley Magazine, BYU’s Daily Universe, and was featured on the cover of the Utah Valley Business Q, where it was named as one of the best local blogs. Emily has made guest appearances on Good Things Utah, Studio 5, and KJZZ’s Morning Show.
Emily is the mother of four darling little ones and the wife of one delightful man. Her talents include reciting the fifty states in alphabetical order in less than twenty seconds, taking out the trash when her husband forgets, and making a mean pot of chicken noodle soup. Emily enjoys running, writing, and chewing gumballs (a habit that helps to keep her dentist in business).
Emily Poole, otherwise known as InkMom, is a musician, writer, daytime mommy and midnight bookkeeper for her husband's optometry practice. She enjoys involvement in church and community, and hopes to keep her brain (and fingers!) working through a fantastic side job: viola player in several symphony orchestras. Emily revels in the beauty of her Western North Carolina home and sincerely hopes heaven closely resembles the Blue Ridge Mountains. While she and her husband live out a truly great love story, they raise three crazy boys (5, 5 and 3) and one blessed brand new baby girl. To find out more about InkMom, visit her personal blog, I'm (not) Crazy Mommy.
Heather King Heather is the mother of two small boys, Miles (4) and Asher (2). She's also the wife to Ryan, the guy who makes her laugh. Her family is the inspiration for much blog fodder. Heather's blog, The Extraordinary Ordinary, is a winding road of everything from thoughts on motherhood to waxing philosophical on faith and life. She has a blog because after randomly starting one with absolutely no goal in mind or point of any kind, she surprised herself with a love for writing, one she had forgotten she had.
Holly is co-founder of BlogFrog, a Boulder-based web 2.0 start-up that offers social and community-building tools for websites. She has spent 18 years launching and growing tech start-ups and has a passion for researching and studying internet and social media use by teens, GenY, and women. She is a blogger, public speaker, contributing writer on technology and marketing to various publications, is an American Marketing Association "Marketer of the Year" award recipient and a guest blogger for The HuffingtonPost. She lives outside Boulder, Colorado and blogs about technology and parenting teenagers.
Jaime Kay Chase is a writer, public speaker, and child care provider. She is the owner and creator of ChaseNKids.com and Domesticating in High Heels. Her book, By The Way, a Memoir of Religion, Abuse, and Redemption will be published in April 2010. In 2009, Chase was awarded the title of Mrs. Alaska Hostess. She lives with her husband and their four children in Anchorage, Alaska.
Jenni is a crazed mom of 6 ½ kids, currently living in Pleasant Grove, Utah, where she has just moved after living nine awesome years overseas. She’s been blogging about the zany, humorous side of raising her brood since 2006. In 2008, while living in England, her world changed when she began to write her first YA novel—a modernized version of Jane Austen. Since then, Jenni has written 7 books. Her first book (now part of The Austen Diaries) Northanger Alibi will be released June 1, 2010 by Valor Publishing. When she isn’t blogging or writing, Jenni enjoys directing children’s theater, portrait painting, and chasing her little monsters around the house.
Jenni’s class promises to have giggles, treats, games & prizes—with a smidgeon of inspiration thrown in too. So if you feel you’re a slightly-crazed, headless chicken, with a love for life—come in & join the party!
Jennifer Scott has a long history of grass roots activism. She most recently served as the volunteer campaign manager to Congressman Chaffetz during his initial run for Congress, helping him defeat a 6-term incumbent using an all-volunteer staff and a limited budget. She has spent a decade working on municipal campaigns and issues in West Jordan, where she served as campaign manager to Mayor David Newton. Jennifer was the General Coordinator for the Wild West Jordan Playground, a community-built project in which organizers raised over $400,000 and pulled together more than 6,000 volunteers to build a playground over a 10-day period. Jennifer earned a degree in public relations and political science from Brigham Young University. She is married to Rusty Scott and they have 3 children.
Jenny Eckton has been married for over 12 years and has six kids – 5 alive and 1 in Heaven. She grew up in New York but now calls Utah home. She’s been blogging since 2005 at formerlyphread, she comments as ~j., and tweets as @formerlyphread. Having a DVR makes her a better mom. In her other life, she’s a rockstar. She likes, in no particular order: radio, people, maps, semicolons, Indian food, triathlons, music, comedy, laundry, concerts, writing checks, travel, letterpress, quilts, bags, movies, and getting mail. If she had a million dollars she’d buy a nap.
Jenny, known as MommyJ, is an aspiring writer and stay at home Mom to four children, (with number five on the way) including a vibrantly active set of 6 year old twins. She lives with her children and husband of nine years in a tiny town in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina - a place she considers the loveliest on earth. While she mourns the absence of any shopping options beyond Wal-Mart, she loves the presence of so many trees to help buffer the constant noisyness of her home. She hikes to enjoy time with her family, runs because her love for food requires it, writes to maintain her sanity and blogs as often as her crazy children and busy schedule allow on her personal blog, MommySnark.
Living in her hometown in Southern Oregon, Julie is the mother of three
Julie is one of the co-founders of the Casual Blogger Conference, gives away fun stuff on Leelou Swag and occasionally finds time to update her family blog. She is addicted to buying domain names and has at least 4 more sites she hopes to launch by 2035. When she’s not blogging it up, Julie can be found consuming baked potato skins, laughing loudly, attempting to take pictures, reading Fancy Nancy and changing diapers.
Kim is a Mama to 4 sweet ones, 1 in Heaven and 3 on Earth. She lives in Utah but is from the Midwest and therefore calls herself Prairie Mama, however most days she feels more like Crazy Mama. When she is not changing or washing diapers, wiping noses, picking up legos and playing referee; she can be found in her garden, playing with her kids, or just reading some good blogs and tweeting with her friends. She knits to stay sane and sews to earn money to fund her chocolate habit.
Kristen HowertonKristen is the mom of four children within four years via birth and adoption, and has been blogging as a coping skill since 2004. She writes about her life at Rage Against the Minivan, where she can be known to talk about issues like the impact of the skinny jean on her self-esteem, or her tendency to spill food on her laptop. She also indulges in sleep-deprived rants about parenting, poop, adoption, politics, race, religion, social justice, and various other subjects that her mother warned her not to discuss in public. Kristen is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a freelance writer, and a musical theater geek. She is the editor of Mama Manifesto, and writes about adoption at Grown In My Heart. She is also a columnist at ConversantLife, an online community dedicated to faith and culture, and likes to waste time on Twitter at @kristenhowerton.
Last month, Kristen lost her battle against the minivan, which is now parked in her driveway and covered in crushed cheerios.
Kristina lives in Utah with her husband and her well traveled Snuggie. Kristina is a full-time social worker, bringing joy, rainbows, and metaphorical unicorns to all the people she works with, on a daily basis. In her spare time, she can be found reading blogs, knitting blankets for disadvantaged hairless animals, shunning Twilight, and wearing high heels while vacuuming. Kristina's dream job is to write for Conan O'Brien, or to move to Alaska and work on an oil rig. She'll take whichever one gives her squeezy cheese for lunch. She blogs at Pulsipher Predilections.
Laura, known as Lolli, is first and foremost the mother of 5 beautiful children. She is a mother by choice, a teacher by degree, a photographer by profession, and a blogger by chance. When she started blogging, she had no idea how much she would enjoy telling the stories of her family's life....and that she'd be telling her stories to strangers who would become some of her best friends. When she's not blogging or taking pictures, she is probably reading a good book while preparing dinner, planning cub scouts, and helping kids with homework. In her spare time, she supports her husband in developing foreign language software. She also tries to sleep every once in a while. You can find her online at Better In Bulk, and on twitter, @1momof5.
Loralee is a 30-something wife, mother, and blogger. She is mother to 4 handsome gentlemen, aged 13, 10 and 6-months, and a sweet little 4-month-old that passed away in 2003 of SIDS. She has been blogging since 2005 at Loralees Looney Tunes and through it has formed a fabulous community, guest lectured and given workshops on social media and blogging, has a strong presence on Twitter and has been featured on local and national media like KSL, UPR, National Talk Radio and Parents Magazine, and ended going to The White House by personal invitation of Valerie Jarrett. (Totally stuffy resume for someone who is founding a movement to bring the term "rad" back into the common vernacular, no?) She is also a classically trained opera singer that is well versed in playing witches, men, evil stepmothers, alcoholics, nuns, whores and bitches. You can follow Loralee on twitter @looneytunes.
Maria and her husband, Josh, have a successful food blog, Two Peas and Their Pod. They are known as the "cooking couple." They are a great team in the kitchen. They love trying new recipes, flavors, and techniques and sharing their creations with the world. They try to keep things healthy, but they always save room for dessert. Maria loves to bake cookies-they have over 70 cookie recipes on their blog.
Two Peas and Their Pod was named one of the top 25 Foodie Blogs by FriendsEAT.com. Maria and Josh's Apple Cinnamon Cookie Bars were featured on Saveur.com as a "Best of the Web" recipe. Maria has also done Live cooking segments for Studio 5, KUTV, KJZZ, and Good Things Utah in Salt Lake City. Maria has also been spotlighted on The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site.
Maria grew up in central Illinois. She moved to Utah to attend college at Brigham Young University, where she earned a degree in Health Promotion. She currently works as a health educator for Healthy Utah, the worksite wellness program for the state.
Marie has been sharing home and professional organization skills for more than 24 years now. She began teaching in 1986 at the local community education center where she developed an eight-week, sixteen-topic course including personal organization, time management, food preparation, office and storage organization, budgeting, training children and employees to work, and purchasing skills.
Marie is a presenter at professional and educational venues all over the United States and has published a House of Order Handbook that contains chapters on many facets of organization plus numerous worksheets to make running a home or small business easier at all levels.
Marie also writes for various venues, and appears as a featured guest on TV and radio. She has been a radio show host and is the owner of House of Order, a company dedicated to helping men and women find greater organization skills, both in their personal and professional lives. She shares a weekly organization newsletter for interested parties. Sign up on her web page, www.houseoforder.com.
Marie and her family live in Highland, Utah where she and her husband grow a vegetable and fruit garden as their summer hobby and share woodworking projects together on colder days.
Marta Dansie is a stay-at-home mama, a freelance graphic designer and whole-hearted writer, blogging daily at martawrites. She is the name behind martacards.com; specializing in logo design, book layout, invitations, handbound books and mural collage media. Most recently, her writing was published in the new book, Kirtsy Takes A Bow. Marta has a passion for collecting paper, keeping her online shop–the mini mart–stocked with handmade goods. When she's not behind her desk, she is rifling through recipes, snapping photos, writing voracious lists or perhaps off on a roadtrip with her husband and little boy.
Marty is a retired stay-at-home mother of seven and an Oma to twenty grandkids who live all over the country. Her blog, TravelinOma, was started in 2006 with this mission statement: "I will blog intentionally to nourish, uplift, edify, teach and share principles of the plan of happiness, and how it works in my daily life."
Marty and her husband Dee own Heritage Associates, a company specializing in personal, family and corporate histories. They've traveled extensively in New England, Canada, Great Britain and Europe digging through archives and libraries gathering history to write over 75 books. Marty has been a featured speaker at BYU Women's Conference on blogging, and has written and published limited editions of her family's history, a book on motherhood, and thirteen children's books. She is currently co-writing a biography, and working on a young-adult history, and a book called The Write Idea.
Matt has dedicated his life to the study of communication and interpersonal relationships He has experience with speaking and training hundreds of Fortune 500 companies such as CNN, Cox Communications, and Lockheed Martin. Each week, The Matt Townsend Show is broadcast via KSL News Radio to hundreds of listeners. He also contributes to the daytime TV program Studio 5, as well as BrideAccess.com. His book, Feeding the STARVED Relationship, outlines the basic principles he teaches.
Matt has the perfect mix of cutting edge research in communication and human relationships, combined with the skill and timing of a top-notch humorist. This blend ensures that audiences are entertained as well as enlightened. He holds his bachelor's and master's degrees in Communication, as well as a master's degree in Human Development. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Human Development. Matt is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the National Department of Commerce.
Matt's greatest joy and measure of success comes from his marriage to his wife, Mardi, and raising their six children.
Hmmmm….me in a nutshell – I love my four darling kiddos and husband, blogging, taking pictures, reading, cooking, organizing, changing my furniture around, decorating for holidays, music and surfing the internet. By day I am a Kindergarten teacher and by night I am a chef, housekeeper, referee, maid and well….whatever is needed. I dislike reading books more than once, pop-up ads and grocery shopping. In 2005, I started a website to organize the many stories, thoughts and poems I had collected over the years. Sugardoodle has now grown to include many other things. I am excited to be a part of this conference and to meet you!
Monica has been blogging in one form or another for the past eight years. Her main source of material (and delight) is eight children who range in age from toddler to teenager. She has a broad range of parenting experience including: international adoption, parenting in a large family, advocating for medically fragile children, dealing with the death of a child, parenting in a multi-racial family, turning disabilities into ability, and keeping her sense of humor in spite of it all. She has always believed in “truth in blogging” which means sometimes her blog, In Plain English, can be amusing, witty and laugh-out-loud funny while other times it is imbued with poignant, heartfelt emotion.
Natalie writes about really silly things at NatTheFatRat.com. She started blogging in 2005, when she lived in New York City and exciting things happened to her, like, all the time. Then she moved to Moscow, Idaho and had to learn to find wonder and delight in the subtle and mundane. She has two dogs, one husband, a burning desire for fat babies, and believes the secret to happiness can be found by asking "What Would Anne Shirley Do?" Passions include writing, a good sparky fountain Diet Coke, crinkly old men, bagels and cream cheese, slow afternoons antiquing, popping other people's toes, singing really loud to the car stereo, and turning the silly little moments in life into something significant. She wants to be just like Mary Poppins when she grows up.
Natasha Helfer Parker, MS, LCMFT, is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has been in practice for 13 years. She received her bachelors degree from BYU in Psychology and her masters degree in Family Therapy from Friends University in Wichita, KS. She began her career working in a drug addiction treatment center in Detroit, then contracted with the Chicago chapter of LDS Family Services while living in the Milwaukee area, and has been in private practice for the last 7 years. She is a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists and a member of the American Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists. She started her blog The Mormon Therapist in February of 2009 as a way to reach out to LDS members in an “advice column” format. Her blog visitors are representative of all 50 states and 80 countries. She has been married for 14 years and has 4 children.
Artistic mom of three little darlings and wife to the hunk of all hunks. Quinn is the founder of CreatedByMom.com, a chic boutique for all products created by moms. She is also a professional food photographer who's work has been featured numerous times in Utah Business Magazine and Wasatch Woman Magazine. Quinn also enjoys dabbling in blog/site design. Quinn drips with passion for cheerleading and inspiring women to be creative and live the life of their dreams. You can find her tweeting @quinncurtis, or online at Created By Chicks.
Rustin is CEO and creator of BlogFrog, a Boulder-based tech start-up that offers social and community building tools for websites. Prior to founding BlogFrog, Rusty was a senior engineer at Ball Aerospace leading large teams and managing multi-million dollar R&D projects. Rusty is a lifelong enthusiast of computers, technology, robotics and internet and a magna cum laude graduate. In 2009, he left the aerospace industry when he grew frustrated with the limited ability to interact on blogs. He and his wife live in Colorado and he blogs about leadership and being the father of three small children.
Ryan Bell practices with the Salt Lake City law firm of Ray Quinney & Nebeker. Mr. Bell is a litigator with broad experience in both general business and intellectual property litigation. A large part of Mr. Bell's practice involves Internet-related issues, as he has assisted clients dealing with Internet-based defamation, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, false advertising, and trademark and copyright infringement problems. He enjoys staying abreast of the always-changing legal landscape surrounding the Internet, and helping his clients understand these sometimes complex issues. Mr. Bell graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2003, and served a clerkship with U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart before entering private practice. Mr. Bell has also authored a number of different blogs focusing on religion, politics, family, and humor (but never all at once).
Sarah Kimmel is all about technology and organization. She is known as The Organized Mom and blogs under that same title at www.organizedmom.net . She has also put her technical skills to use in creating a second blog that helps every day moms learn and know more about technology called Technology for Mommies www.tech4mommies.com . She combined her two passions when she created a software program to help busy moms get organized called Daily Home Planner. She is a Microsoft Certified IT Manager, and has worked in the Tech Industry for over 10 years. She is also a wife and mother to two kids Maddie age 4 and Michael age 8 months.
Shannon is trying to survive one last pregnancy, and if her previous pregnancies had been like this, they wouldn't have needed that third bedroom. She went to college (BYU), got married, graduated (in English), lived in Japan, New York City, Cairo, and Florida, and is now very happy to settle in Utah. Someday she wants to go back to school. In something. In the meantime, she’s mooning over vegetable seeds and gloating over the compost tumbler her dad made her for Christmas. And writing the blog SeagullFountain.
Sophie is a passionate environmentalist and mom-preneur who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don’t want to compromise their glamour and style. She is the New York Times Best Selling author of, “Gorgeously Green” (Harper Collins). She is author of “The Gorgeously Green Diet (Penguin) and the upcoming book, “Do It Gorgeously.” You can find Sophie at GorgeouslyGreen.com, or on twitter as @sophieuliano.
Steph is, first and foremost, a mom to 3 kiddies and a wife to a wonderfully supportive husband (who cleans and does laundry while she works on her site, TheDailyDigi.) She has been a scrapbooker almost her whole life in various forms, but learned all about “archival” scrapbooking in 1994. Even back then, she used a lot of computer clipart and techniques on her layouts. She taught basic paper scrapbooking in several different scrapbooking and craft stores from 1997-1998.
She made the move to digital in 2003, and a year later, discovered online digital scrapbooking communities. Her work has been published by Simple Scrapbooks and Digital Scrapbooking Magazines. In 2007, she started her own font business, Fontologie. She has worked on creative teams for Michelle Coleman, Nancie Rowe Janitz, ScrapArtist, Hollie McCaig, Gina Cabrera of Digital Design Essentials, Dani Mogstad, Janet Phillips, and Shabby Princess. In 2009, she helped launch The Daily Digital and is now the owner and operator.
Sue is probably the most sporadic, unfocused blogger you'll find speaking at this (or any!) conference. She blogs whenever she happens to get around to it over at navel gazing at its finest. She founded Mormon Mommy Blogs, then promptly got too lazy to do anything even remotely related to running the site and jumped ship. She started a ridiculous fake blog that became momentarily popular before she confessed her true identity and submitted to subsequent public flogging. She successfully queried a few national book agents despite the fact that she hadn't actually written a book. (And still hasn't, if you want to get all technical about it.) She does not really understand Twitter (@suelikestoblog), but dutifully logs on occasionally anyway. She has decided to start hosting monthly service get-togethers for local Utah bloggers and other socially awkward folks, and hopes YOU will come too. In her non-blogging life, she is a work-from-home technical writer and mother of four (a number that still astounds her).
Susan is from the Metropolis of Pocatello Idaho. Susan is married to the love of her life Craig Hall, who she dated in high school. They have a 4 year old boy, 2 year old girl, baby on the way, and a pet chicken. Susan Started a Company called First Impressions Handcasts in 2004, and has developed it into the largest Handcasting company in the United states with 13 Franchises, and a growing number of Handcasting consultants across the country. Susan believes in the power of a dream, and that anything is possible when you believe in yourself. She has built her company around strong family values, and has created a new way for other woman with the same values to reach their life goals.
Tammy Hodson An extra chromosome is the least of your worries when you are also dealing with a life threatening diagnosis, trachs, g-tubes, oxygen machines, daily medication schedules, and ostomy bags.A former educator with degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Tammy left the public school system to dedicate herself to family life and raising her six kids. Married for 21 years to Reed, the love of her life, Tammy considers herself to be truly blessed.
Each new day brings new adventure, along with yet another outrageous medical bill. But with the words CARPE DIEM boldly emblazed on her heart, Tammy is on a mission to share how a life with Down syndrome is truly a life worth living. Tammy can be found at Praying For Parker where she blogs about life with Parker, an outrageously cute, medically fragile child with Down syndrome.You can also reach Tammy at hods5mom at aol dot com and follow her on Twitter where she is known as @ParkerMama.
Teresa Collins is passionate about what she does. She strives to create and design craft and scrapbook products with timeless style and chic appeal. She always tries to put a unique twist on things, and she creates to tell her life's story in an artistic way.
Teresa is a total girly girl. She loves gems, pink and black, and funky jewelry and home decor. She travels around the world, sharing her passion and love for all things chic, creative, and trend setting. She has been on HSN, DIY Network, and is a regular guest on Channel 4's Good Things Utah. Her work, articles, and products have been featured in all major publications throughout the world. Check her out at TeresaCollinsDesigns.com.
Vanessa Brown blogs over at INeverGrewUp.net, UtahsNaturalKids.com and is part of the Utah blogger review site SassyScoops.com. She helps companies all over the country with their social media marketing with her AKickIntheBuzz.com services. She also runs an online membership site teaching women to make money with their blogs at MomsMakeMoneyBlogging.com. She has two little girls, two old dogs and one celebrity dog trainer husband.
Veronica Reeve is a natural light photographer specializing in photographs of children and their families. Her work has been described as colorful, vibrant, and fun. She received a Bachelors of Art in Elementary Education and uses her genuine connection and love of children to capture them as they truly are, documenting the pure and simple magic of childhood. Additionally, Veronica enjoys teaching other aspiring photographers and photo hobbyists how to improve their photography skills. She has been trained by some of the leading child photographers in the world, including Audrey Woulard, Tamara Lackey, Lena Hyde, Laura Novak, Nicole Hill, Nichole Van, and soon, Barb "Jinky" Uil of Australia. Veronica is a member of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers. She is the wife to Rich, and mother to her three sources of inspiration, her daughters Lilia, Sophie, and Hazel.
